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> Uh, fallout is only deadly for a few weeks or so even after thousands of nuclear weapons are used on a country. The amount of fallout and types of products g
by akira2501 10y ago
> Uh, fallout is only deadly for a few weeks or so even after thousands of nuclear weapons are used on a country.
The amount of fallout and types of products generated in a nuclear blast are mostly determined by the altitude the bomb detonates at.
If you let it blast a few thousand feet in the air, before it hits the ground, then you are correct. This is typical strategy because it doesn't destroy the ground and the air blast has an absolutely devastating effect on man made structures.
However, if you let the bomb get all the way down to the dirt or even slightly below it before you detonate, then much of that radiation is absorbed by all that matter and spread out over a large distance. You can also design the bomb case so that it transmits this radiation rather than absorbing it further increasing the fallout and it's intensity.
- hollerith 10y agoWhen calculating how long Americans would need to remain in fallout shelters, the assumption was made that ground bursts would be used wherever that is the most effective way for the attacker to achieve his objectives. Certainly, they would be used to attack hardened underground bunkers and the ICBM silos. Yes, ground bursts produce a lot more fallout than air bursts, but that has been taken into account when calculating that most Americans would need to stay in their fallout shelters for 2 or 3 weeks at the most. The science behind fallout is well-understood.
- TeMPOraL 10y agoIs it? I mean, I'd usually assume you're correct - government agencies and scientists tend to have stuff like that figured out pretty well. But in this case, I've heard numerous claims before that a lot of that was "security theatre" for the people - making them feel like they're being protected, even if nobody expected any of that to actually work.